PRESS RELEASE

Cisco Videoscape Enables German Broadcasters to Expand HDTV Services

ARD Installs Cisco State-of-the-Art HD Content Playout Systems at Two Premier Locations in Germany

AMSTERDAM, IBC, September 7, 2012 – The Association of Public Broadcasting Corporations of the Federal Republic of Germany (ARD), a non-profit, joint organization of Germany's regional public-service broadcasters, and one of the world's largest public broadcasters, is working with Cisco to extend its HD programming via satellite for HDTV viewers throughout Germany. Using the Cisco Videoscape^™ TV services delivery platform, including advanced Cisco^® video encoding and content processing technology, ARD has improved the overall video picture quality of  its German HD "direct-to-home" playout systems for satellite digital video broadcasting (DVB-S/S2).

Highlights

• Cisco is providing ARD with the necessary components to uplink video programming in HD format, helping it replace and upgrade technology and streamline operations by lowering costs at the ARD-Starpoint site in Frankfurt, Germany (being the central ARD Operator), and the WDR (West German Broadcasting) site in Langenberg near Cologne, Germany.
• Cisco hardware deployed for this project includes the D9036 multichannel/multiformat encoder, which encodes up to four HDTV programs at the same time, and the Digital Content Manager (DCM), which controls the bitrates and combines the TV services with service related auxiliary data.
• Part of the Cisco Videoscape Origination Suite, the D9036 Modular Encoding Platform is characterized by its scalability and superior video quality. Encoded video signals can be exported in premium quality via ASI streaming data format, or IP. Its wide range of IP functionality enables a smooth migration from ASI- into IP-based platforms and networks.
• The DCM can support full-quality delivery of multiple video signals. It is a key component of the Cisco Videoscape Acquisition Suite, due to its high video quality, flexibility, redundancy and network efficiency.
• Full system integration services and overall project responsibility was provided by Dimetis GmbH, a Cisco Authorized SP Video Partner, as well as the BOSS Broadcast Manager^®  control and monitoring system, which provides reliable and fully protected transmission of audio and video.
• The ARD-Starpoint facility processes the ARD Service, Das Erste, distributes the ARD-Bouquets via satellite, cable and IPTV, carries out the national and international TV and radio service exchange, and manages the common ARD core network platforms.
• The WDR is a constituent member of the ARD and the largest federal ARD broadcaster. In addition to contributing to the output of German national television channel Das Erste, WDR produces the regional television service WDR Fernsehen (formerly known as WDF and West3) and six regional radio networks. WDR also hosts the ARD-radio satellite transponder which delivers eight WDR radio services in addition to an event channel.

Supporting Quotes:

• Stephen Wagner, head of ARD-Starpoint

 "As we strive to provide HDTV viewers in Germany with superior video picture quality and greater reliability, we trust Cisco hardware to help us meet and exceed our goals. With Cisco's expertise, we were able to re-architect our network to more efficiently encode, decode and transmit HD signals to viewers' homes. With this technology in place, we can also execute on our plans to expand HD services throughout our markets, faster."

• Edwin Paalvast, senior vice president, Service Provider Group, Cisco EMEAR

"The Cisco Videoscape encoding and content management technology helps operators add and compact more channels of all types and formats into their network. Our work with ARD to enhance and expand their HD capabilities gives their viewers better quality HD video - with more HDTV choices soon to come."

Supporting Resources:

• About ARD
• About WDR
• About Cisco Videoscape http://www.cisco.com/go/videoscape
• Cisco Service Provider blog: SP360: http://blogs.cisco.com/sp
• Follow Cisco IBC news and activities on Twitter: #CiscoIBC and #Videoscape

Tags/Keywords

Cisco, ARD, ARD-Starpoints, Edwin Paalvast, DCM, Digital Content Manager, Digital Content Manager Origination Suite, HD, HDTV, Stephen Wagner, Videoscape, WRD

RSS Feed for Cisco: http://newsroom.cisco.com/dlls/rss.html

About Cisco

Cisco (NASDAQ: CSCO) is the worldwide leader in networking that transforms how people connect, communicate and collaborate. Information about Cisco can be found at http://www.cisco.com. For ongoing news, please go tohttp://newsroom.cisco.com. Cisco equipment in Europe is supplied by Cisco Systems International BV, a wholly owned subsidiary of Cisco Systems, Inc.

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Multimedios Television Chooses Cisco PowerVu Solution & Videoscape TV

PRESS RELEASE

Multimedios Televisión Chooses Cisco PowerVu Solution and Videoscape TV Technology to Expand Channel Distribution

The television division of Grupo Multimedios is at the forefront of video distribution, improving efficiency, security and the quality of transmitted signals

Monterrey, Mexico, 21 March, 2012 — Multimedios Televisión has started satellite transmissions to national and international customers using the IP-centric Cisco® PowerVu® video processing and distribution technology, along with the Cisco Digital Content Manager (DCM), a key component of the Cisco Videoscape^™ TV service delivery platform.

The signal of Multimedios Televisión, Milenio Televisión, Teleritmo, Multimedios USA and Multimedios HD, transmitted to different paid television operators in Mexico and the United States, is based on MPEG4 DVB-S2 capabilities, which will allow a more efficient use of the satellite broadband. As a result, more channels can be distributed to customers.  In addition, services can be controlled for each paid television system and new services, like digital advertising, among others, can be offered.

The Cisco PowerVu architecture is based on the Internet Protocol (IP), which provides more efficiency in signal processing when converting and encapsulating IP Communications, and enables Multimedios Televisión to take advantage of proven redundancy and high-availability schemes. The distribution component is designed with a focus on security requirements and the administration of satellite ground terminals.

The PowerVu system has a codification system based on the next-generation Cisco Modular Encoding Platform D9036.

About PowerVu

• The multiplexing architecture system is based on the Cisco DCM Series D9900 Digital Content Manager, an integral piece of the Cisco Videoscape TV services delivery platform, which applies redundancy and processing schemes to the signals generated by the Cisco D9036 Modular Encoding Platform. The high capacity of the DCM will enable new functionalities in the audio and video systems. Furthermore, PowerVu has monitoring and control systems based on the ROSA EM and ROSA NMS platforms, which allow the implementation of redundant automatic schemes monitoring each of the elements of the platform and the service.

• The PowerVu control and conditional access system is designed so that only authorized customers can decrypt the signal and distribute it via their television system. The customer database and integrated receiver/decoders allow Multimedios to manage each one of them properly. 

• The satellite receptors, or integrated receiver/decoders, contemplated as part of the solution cover the needs of all the multiservice operators. The PowerVu Model D9858 Advanced Receiver Transcoder allows the transcoding of signals from MPEG4 to MPEG2 to facilitate the current cable systems, which are based on MPEG2. The flexibility of the D9858 allows the signals to be converted from HD into SD and from MPEG4 to MPEG2.

Supporting Quotes

"The solution supplied by Cisco allows us to use the maximum broadband in the satellite and to have eight signals, two of them in HD, where we had only four SD signals before," said Guillermo Franco, general director, Multimedios Televisión.

"Multimedios subscribers will have multiple benefits, such as three levels of sophisticated internal security based on a series of hierarchical encryption designed to withstand failure or a security breach. The PowerVu conditional access system is a proven platform for more than 20 years, and is implemented currently in more than 175 countries," said Rogelio Velasco, general director, Cisco Mexico.